DISP 1 Annex 3 Appropriate wording for inclusion in a final response or written acceptance12

“You have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman
Service, free of charge – but you must do so within six months of the date of
this letter.

If you do not refer your complaint in time, the Ombudsman will not have our
permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do so in very
limited circumstances. For example, if the Ombudsman believes that the delay was
as a result of exceptional circumstances.”

12The complaint was received outside the time limits in DISP 2.8.2R(2) and the
respondent does not consent to waive those time limits or the six-month time limit
in DISP 2.8.2 R (1)

(2)

“You have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman
Service, free of charge.

The Ombudsman might not be able to consider your complaint if:

• what you’re complaining about happened more than six years ago, and

• you’re complaining more than three years after you realised (or should have realised) that there was a problem.

We think that your complaint was made outside of these time limits but this is a
matter for the Ombudsman to decide. If the Ombudsman agrees with us, they will
not have our permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do
so in very limited circumstances (see below).

If you do decide to refer your complaint to the Ombudsman you must do so
within six months of the date of this letter.

If you do not refer your complaint to the Ombudsman within six months of the
date of this letter, the Ombudsman will not have our permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do so in very limited circumstances.

The very limited circumstances referred to above include, where the Ombudsman
believes that the delay was as a result of exceptional circumstances.”

12The complaint was received outside the time limits in DISP 2.8.2 R (2) and the
respondent does not consent to waive those time limits but does consent to waive
the six-month time limit in DISP 2.8.2 R (1)

(3)

“You have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge.

The Ombudsman might not be able to consider your complaint if:

• what you’re complaining about happened more than six years ago, and

• you’re complaining more than three years after you realised (or should have realised) that there was a problem.

We think that your complaint was made outside of these time limits but this is a matter for the Ombudsman to decide. If the Ombudsman agrees with us, they will not have our permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do so in very limited circumstances. For example, if the Ombudsman believes that the delay was as a result of exceptional circumstances.

The time limit for referring complaints to the Ombudsman is usually six months but we will consent to the Ombudsman considering your complaint even if you refer the complaint later than this.”

12The respondent does not consent to waive the time limits in DISP 2.8.7 R relating to mortgage endowment complaints

(4)

“You have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge — but you must do so within six months of the date of this letter.

The Ombudsman might not be able to consider your complaint if:

• you received a letter warning you that there was a high risk that your mortgage endowment policy would not produce a sum large enough to repay the target amount at maturity; and

• you’re complaining more than three years after you received that letter, and

• you’re complaining more than six months after the date on which we sent you a further communication notifying you when the three-year period would expire.

We think that your complaint was made outside of these time limits but this is a matter for the Ombudsman to decide. If the Ombudsman agrees with us, they will not have our permission to consider your complaint and so will only be able to do so in limited circumstances.”